In Transit Riddim – Notice Productions

In Transit Riddim arrived in 2013 from Notice Productions, the Kingston-rooted outfit led by Wayne “Unga Barunga” Thompson and Jason Welsh, a team that came out of band life and kept one foot in live musicianship even as they moved deeper into production. By the time this set landed, Notice had already built a reputation for clean, contemporary reggae with a strong roots core and a polished studio feel.

The riddim sits in that sweet spot between heartfelt lovers rock and hard-edged culture. The groove is steady and organic, with enough bounce to carry sweeter melodies, but the mood stays serious, especially on cuts like Jah Cure’s “Pressure We Hard, ” I-Octane’s “Serious Times, ” Chezidek’s “Judgement Day, ” and Sizzla’s “Make The World Safe. ” Those songs give the series its backbone: pressure, survival, reflection, and uplift, all voiced with singers and deejays who know how to sit in a roots pocket without flattening it.

The lineup is strong throughout. Konshens brings tenderness on “To Her With Love, ” Christopher Martin smooths out “Just Like You, ” and Alaine’s “Stronger” adds a clean, emotive finish. Dre Island, Kelissa, Iba Mahr, Ras Penco, Chuck Fenda, Bugle, Chevaughn and Alva widen the picture, giving the riddim enough range to feel like a proper snapshot of the era rather than a one-note juggling. Notice later pushed the series hard enough to spawn a volume two, which says a lot about how well this one moved in the scene.